Royal Visitors from Abroad.—The great workshops of Birmingham, and especially the Soho Works (in their day), have, for the last hundred years, attracted many crowned and coronetted heads from other parts of the world, though, in many respects, it is to be feared our town no longer holds the pre-eminence in manufacture it once did. The Hereditary Prince of Brunswick came here, January 2, 1766. The Empress of Russia inspected Soho in 1776. The Duc de Chartres came on a similar visit, February 22, 1785, and there were newspaper flunkies then as now, for it was gravely recorded that the Duke's horses were stabled at the Swan Inn. His Serene Highness the Statholder and the Prince of Orange called at Boulton's, August 8, 1796. The Grand Duke Nicholas, afterwards Emperor of Russia, was here, November 9, 1816. His Serene Highness Prince Nicolas Esterhazy, visited us in the month of August, 1821. Prince Louis Napoleon, afterwards Napoleon III., was seen here occasionally while in exile. The King of Portugal went the round of the manufactories, June 26, 1854; Prince Oscar of Sweden, May 8, 1862; the Emperor of Brazil, July 28, 1871; the Sultan of Zanzibar, July 2, 1875; Archduke Randolph, Crown Prince of Austria, and Prince Esterhazy, January 31 1878; and the Duke of Braganza, Crown Prince of Portugal, in December, 1883.
Sabbath Breaking.—In 1776 the churchwardens threatened to punish everyone caught playing at ball on the Sabbath. In 1779 they frequently stopped waggons travelling on that day, and fined the owners for so doing. In December, 1781, thirty-eight publicans were fined for allowing "tippling" on Sundays.
Sailor's Return.—There are several public-houses in the town with the sign of "The Sailor's Return," but few of the landlords can tell the history of the first so-named, which is in Watery Lane, at the bottom of Lawley Street. It is near a hundred years ago since "Old Dr. Spencer" was Vicar of Aston Church, and, though he was fond of hunting, and could be "a jolly good fellow" occasionally, few parsons have gone to the grave more lamented, for he was a man without cant,—a Christian who never thought himself better than his neighbours, be they rich or poor. His only son was mortally wounded in one of Nelson's battles, but he lived just long enough to give his watch and a few trifles for his father to the sailor who waited on him. 'Twas some time before the "old salt" got to land, and he had been in another brush with the French, and had left a leg behind him. When he delivered his message to the Dr., the latter asked what he could do for him. "Why, sir," said the sailor, "I should like to keep a public-house;" and he did, the Dr. christening it "The Sailor's Return."
Saltley.—So far as our ancient histories can tell us, there was a mansion here long previous to the Conquest, and the diligent antiquarian may still find an old Saltley Hall, though it looks wretchedly neglected and desolate. Saltley is one of the busiest of our suburbs, there being very extensive Railway Carriage and Wagon Works here, besides other factories and the Corporation Gas-works, the population being about 7,000.
Sandwell Hall and Park.—Seat of the Earl of Dartmouth, who frequently permits the Park to be used for public purposes. Of late, however, it has acquired a far greater interest through the discovery of coal underneath its surface. The extension of the coal seams in this direction was long a debateable question, and the originators of the Sandwell Park Colliery Company were deemed by many to be very foolish people to risk their money in such a venture, but after a four years' suspense their most sanguine expectations were more than realised, and their shares, which at one period were hardly saleable, ranked amongst the best investments of the country. By their agreement with the owner, the Company have the right of mining under an area of 185 acres, at a royalty of 6d. per ton, with the option of taking a further area of 1,515 acres at a like royalty. The first sod was cut April 12, 1870, the thick coal being struck May 28, 1874, at a depth of 418 yards, the shaft, which is 10ft. diameter, being carried down to a total depth of 440 yards—a quarter of a mile; the second shaft, which was commenced June 24, 1874, is 15ft. in diameter. The following are the "winnings"; brooch coal, 2ft. 6in. thick, at a depth of 380 yards; best coal, 20ft. 6in. thick, at 418 yard; heathen coal 4ft. thick, at 427 yards; white ironstone, of excellent quality, at 434 yards, and good fire-clay, 6ft. thick, under that, besides thin seams of gubbin ironstone, and new mine coal.
Saturday Half-holiday.—The introduction of this boon to workingmen took place in 1851, Mr. John Frearson, of Gas-street, claiming the honour of first giving it to his employees.—See "[Excursions]".
Scandalous Schoolmasters.—The Rev. Mr. Wills, of Brumingham, with several county esquires and gentlemen, were appointed Commissioners under an Act passed towards the close of "The Long Parliament," to summon and examine any "publique preachers, inefficient ministers, and scandalous schoolmasters who shall be proved guilty of drunkenness, common haunting of taverns or alehouses, dealing with lewd women, frequent quarrelling or fighting, frequent playing at cards or dice, profaning the Sabbath Day, or do incourage or countenance by word or practice any Whitsun ales, wakes, Morris-dances, Maypoles, stage plays, &c.," and to remove the same where needed. A little quarrelling or fighting, or playing at cards, was apparently no offence.
School Board.—The first election took place Nov. 28, 1870, there being the following twenty-eight candidates, the first fifteen named being the chosen elected by the number of votes attached to their names, viz., Canon O'Sullivan, 35,120; S.S. Lloyd, 30,799; Dr. Burges, 21,925; Dr. Wilkinson, 19,829; John Gough, 17,481; Rev. F.S. Dale, 17,365; G. Dawson. 17,103; G. Dixon, M.P., 16,897; W. Dale, 16,387; C. Vince, 15,943; J.S. Hopkins, 15,696; W.L. Sargant, 15,683; J. Chamberlain, 15,090; J.S. Wright, 15,007; A.J. Elkington, 14,925; G. Baker, J.A. Cooper, Jesse Collings, Rev. H.W. Crosskey, Dr. Sebastian Evans, Rev. H.W. Holland, —— Kirkwood, G.B. Lloyd, Dr. Merson, W. Middlemore, W. Radford, —— Raffles, and Archdeacon Sandford. 29,183 voters, out of 52,340, recorded their votes. A considerable amount of party feeling was shown in the contest, the candidates being divided (with one or two exceptions) into two distinct classes, the Liberals who wanted the Bible read in the schools without explanation or comment, and the Churchmen who went in for Scriptural teaching. The latter party obtained the majority by electing the whole of the eight they put in nomination, the Liberals, who thought they could run the whole fifteen, find that by grasping at too much they had lost all the power they had fondly hoped to acquire. The first meeting of the Board was held Dec. 15, Mr. Sargant being elected chairman and Mr. S.S. Lloyd vice-chairman. During the three years' reign of this Board the religious question was a continual bone of contention, the payment of school fees for the teaching of the Bible in denominational schools being denounced in the strongest of terms in and out of the Board-room by the "Irreconcileables," as the Nonconforming minority were termed. The practical results of the Board's proceedings may be summed up thus: The Education Department decided that school accommodation was required for 15,000 children; the School Board borrowed £40,000, received £20,500 from the rates, built five schools (in Lingard-street, Jenkins-street, Farm-street, Garrison-lane, and Steward-street), which would hold about 6,000 children, boys, girls, and infants, and engaged fifteen teachers, 52 pupil teachers, and two assistants. They also allowed the sum of 1s. per week for every child detained in a certified industrial school, committed by the borough magistrates, enforced in some measure the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, entered into negotiations for the building of four other schools, quarrelled with the Town Council, and dissolved without thanking their chairman.—The second election of the School Board took place Nov. 17, 1873, when eighteen persons were nominated, as follow (the three last being the unsuccessful candidates):—G. Dixon, M.P., 39,447 votes; J. Chamberlain, 38,901; Miss Sturge, 37,260; C. Vince, 36,505; J.S. Wright, 36,417; R.W. Dale, 34,986; G. Dawson, 34,301; Jesse Collings, 33,877; Canon O'Sullivan, 32,087; S.S. Lloyd, 29,783; Dr. Burges, 24,582; A.J. Elkington, 24,213; W.L. Sargant, 24,207; Rev. F.S. Dale, 23,864; Dr. Wilkinson, 23,157; G. Heaton, 23,140; W.H. Greening, 22,881; and W. Warlow, 19,193. This election was fought with all the rancour of a political contest, Tory and Liberal being pitted against one another in the name of religion, the Book of Books being dragged through the mire of party warfare in the most outrageous manner, discreditable to both sides, and especially so to those teachers of the Gospel, who delighted in the almost blasphemous alliterations of "Bible and beer," "gin and Jesus," &c., so freely bandied about. The Liberal party this time gained the ascendancy, their first "liberal" action being to take away the allowance granted to the Industrial Schools, and reversing as much as possible the policy of their predecessors. It would be waste of space to comment upon the doings of the Board during the past ten years otherwise than to summarise them. The Liberal party have maintained their ascendancy, and they have provided the town with a set of schools that cannot be equalled by any town in the kingdom, either for number, magnificence of architecture, educational appliance, high-class teachers, or (which is the most important) means for the advancement of the scholars, to whom every inducement is held out for self-improvement, except in the matter of religion, which, as nearly as possible, is altogether banished from the curriculum. At the end of 1833, the thirty completed schools provided accommodation for 31,861 children, 10,101 boys, 9,053 girls, and 12,707 infants, but the number of names on the books reached nearly 40,000. Other schools are being built, and still more are intended; and, as the town increases, so must this necessary expenditure, though, at first sight, the tax on the ratepayers is somewhat appalling. In 1878 the "precept" was for £46,500; in 1879, £44,000; in 1880, £39,000; in 1881, £42,000; in 1882, £48,000; in 1883, £54,000; in 1884, £55,000. The receipts and expenditure for the half-year ended 25th March, 1884, gives the following items:—Balance in hand 29th September, 1883 £10,522 1s. 7-1/2d.; rates (instalment of precept), £27,250; maintenance—grants from Committee of Council on Education, £9,866 18s. 4d.; school fees, £4,806 3s. 8d.; books, &c., sold, £223 18s. 6d.; rent of Board schools, £655 9s.; needlework sold, £215 12s. 2d.; grant from Science and Art Department, £306 Os. 3d.; total, £16,074 1s. 11d.; scholarships, £114 13s.; sundries, £44 Os. 3d.; total income, £54,004 16s. 9-1/2d. The following was the expenditure: Repayment of loans, &c., £11,016 13s, 6d.; maintenance, £30,040 16s. 1d. (including £23,300, salaries of teachers); scholarships, £126 13s. 3d.; compulsion and management, £3,857 3s. 4d.; sundries, £28 4s.; amount transferred from capital account, £30 1s. 10d.; balance in hand, £8,905 4s. 9-1/2d.; total, £54,004 16s. 9-1/2d.
A Central Seventh Standard Technical School has been originated through the offer of Sir. George Dixon to give the use of premises in Bridge Street, rent free for five years, he making all structural alterations necessary to fit the same for the special teaching of boys from the Board Schools, who have passed the sixth standard, and whose parents are willing to keep their sons from the workshops a little longer than usual. The course of the two years' further instruction proposed, includes (besides the ordinary code subjects, the three R's) mathematic, theoretical, and practical mechanics, freehand, geometry, and model drawing, machine construction and drawing, chemistry and electricity, and the use of the ordinary workshop tools, workshops being fitted with benches, lathes, &c., for the lads' use. The fee is 3d. per week, and if the experiment succeeds, the School Board at the end of the five years will, no doubt, take it up on a more extended scale.
Aston School Board.—The first election took place July 29, 1875, and, as in Birmingham, it was fought on the usual political basis, the Liberals gaining the day. The Board has nine Schools, with an average attendance of 11,500 children, out of nearly 15,000 on the registers; 187 teachers, and a debt of £110,000